Times of intimacy with God are important in restoring our souls.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Luke 5:16 English Standard Version

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Peaceful moments like this in the Garden of the Gods are not easy to come by, especially in the summer, but when they do it feels like you are alone with God.

This feeling of being alone with God might be similar to those days and nights when Jesus was alone with his Father.

I’m not talking about a New Age kumbayah moment of communing with nature as being the same as communing with God. Nature itself is a rather harsh place to live. There are animals in the Garden preying on each other, rattlesnakes ready to take a bite out of your leg and deer who love to leave little nuggets on the trail.

However, withdrawing from our noise-filled lives and being alone with God is critical for us to reenter life. Jesus’ life was filled with people making unreasonable demands of him and with people who had high expectations of him. He withdrew, not to commune with nature but to commune with his Father.

You and I need times to withdraw from the craziness of life so that we might become intimate with our Father through his Word.

Whether your “desolate” place is similar to the Garden of the Gods or your garage, may you find this intimacy with your gracious, heavenly Father renewing your spirit.

Copyright Douglas P. Brauner